The Earl's Childe (33 page)

Jumping over the line of salt, we ran in the direction of the stables, where the screams and shouts—some sounding entirely otherworldly—had gotten louder.

CHAPTER

16

Where I learn what it's like to have your friendship, your trust, and your bravery truly tested
.

The secret exit came out far beyond even the castle gardens. But we didn't have to go much farther into the fields. We could hear shouts and horse screams because our friends were chasing a red cap pack that was trying to herd Max's horse…with Max tied atop it, his face a bloodied mess. No one had noticed us yet.

“Heather, you trust me, right?” Joe asked.

“Yeah, why?”

He held out his hand to me. In the daylight, I noticed he wore a ring with a greyish stone, which I hadn't seen before. “Don't let go of my hand.”

“Okay.”

Within a moment, the whole world seemed to have blurred edges, like looking through wet glass. “What?”

“My first wish from Tony. I'll explain later. But we're blocked from their sight and dulled from the rest of their senses, so we can get a little closer before they'll try to attack.”

“Why didn't you use it last night?”

“They'd already seen us, and attacked as soon as we crashed. And we needed you to see us.”

“Oh.”

The pack obviously couldn't move as fast as a horse. Stormy was bound with ropes around his neck and legs, thrashing and trying to get away. Lily and company were circling the pack, Stormy, and Max at a canter, keeping them from getting too far.

Unfortunately for the red caps, they were trying to attack five of the best student riders at horse camp, so they were hardly getting any blows in, despite the panic of the horses.

Unfortunately for my friends, Lily was the only one with an iron weapon, and it was too small for her to reach any fey. And the horses were getting more panicked by the second.

Chris's horse finally unseated him, and he went flying. Three red caps ran in his direction.

“Joe!”

“On it!” He was already chucking the first grenade. It broke less than a foot from Chris, bathing the red caps in a splash of water and iron…and maybe something else, because all three fell to the ground, skin blistering like they'd been hit with acid.

Chris kipped up and looked around. “Christ! What the—”

He didn't get a chance to curse further, as Joe threw the second grenade at another group of red caps approaching him. They must've been paying attention to the first one, because they scattered before the grenade hit the ground, hardly getting splashed. Chris ran in our general direction. Regrouping, the red caps went after him.

“Keep going,” I hissed at Joe, letting go of his hand and running to Chris. “Chris, here!” I gave him my curvy, jagged sword and drew another. He was taller, had better reach, and could probably do more with the fancy sword.

“Sweet!”

“Joe's only got two more of those grenade things. We have to keep them distracted so he can make them count.”

“Heather! Where's Mum?” Lily and Jared circled around Chris and me, driving away some red caps.

“Couldn't find her. Heard screams. Got armed and came.” Chris and I were swinging at the red caps that managed to sneak between the horses.

A crash and more screams made us cringe, covering our ears. Grenade number three. Worse, two of the screams came from Stormy and Max.

All the horses freaked with that. Only Lily and Jared stayed mounted. Livy screamed as a group of un-splashed red caps swarmed her. Jared stayed by us while Lily rode right into the main group, somewhat scattered due to several getting dragged as Stormy bucked, bouncing Max. My sister tried to drag Livy free while the last grenade smashed upon the red caps holding her down.

Only a red cap hit directly in the face with a grenade was down for the count. The others trampled it trying to control Stormy. Three more ropes were thrown around the horse while the rest of the pack went for the mounted riders.

Sara-Not-Beth ran to Chris and me, dodging around red caps as she would on the football pitch. Just as on the pitch, none of them could touch her. I handed her the other oversized iron dagger, then we charged them.

Jared had left us to help Lily free a shaking Livy. Gaping scratches bled down her legs. One red cap jumped up and sank its vile, yellow fingernails and teeth into Jared's horse's throat. Another chomped one of its legs.
Through
the leg.

I nearly puked at the sound, and at the sight of the screaming horse and Jared and Livy sinking into a sea of rusty red and sickly yellow. Frozen at the sight, Sara-Not-Beth, Chris, and I almost missed two more red caps attacking us. Out of “nowhere,” Joe appeared, swinging his own sword. The red caps paused, still grinning. I think they might have wanted us to see what was happening to our other friends.

“Jared!” Lily yelled.

“Take Livy!” With a push, he got Livy on Lily's horse and leapt from his dying horse's back. Landing with the grace of the black belt he claimed to be, he cut around the pack to get to us. Two more red caps stepped in front of him. Without missing a beat, he stepped into a defensive stance and slammed his fist into the throat of one of them. A shot that would totally disable a human.

Snap!
Jared breathed out a cry as his forearm…

Bent. In. Half.

“Jared!” Chris broke from us and ran for his best mate.

Two of our flanking red caps, grinning so wide I thought their faces might split open, cut him off, cracking their knuckles.

“Enough!” Like a clap of thunder, Calbraith's voice echoed around us.

I didn't remember
that
effect last night. But for half a second, we were all frozen as we had been last night.

Damned faery magick!

As soon as we could move, the red caps backed off, though they kept their clawed hands outstretched, letting us know we wouldn't get very far without a boatload of pain.

Lily rode around behind us, one hand clutching the reins of Dream, who was frothing and ready to bolt, and one holding a half-conscious Livy.

Livy.

Her legs from the thigh down looked like ground meat bulging through blue leather sausage casings.

My stomach totally turned over.

I heard Sara-Not-Beth gag beside me, and Joe gasped. “Heather, we need to get her home.” Lily's voice was trembling.

“I told you not to harm him!” Calbraith sounded rather peeved. We turned around to see him approaching Max. In the sunlight, I could see the Unseelie daoine síth better. He wore smooth brown leather breeches and a forest-green tunic. Belted around his waist and shoulder were a sword, a whip-looking thing, and a cylinder of leather, which I recognized from this morning. It was where he kept the pixie. I shivered, hoping it could breathe.

The other red caps were still struggling with the horse that was bouncing Max around as it tried to escape.

“It wasn't us—” began one of the red caps holding a rope. It sounded like they'd been smoking cigarettes for the centuries of their faery lifespan.

“I don't want excuses!” Calbraith pointed at the beastie The red cap that spoke froze again, and then started to shake uncontrollably. He fell over, totally still, blood leaking from his mouth, nose, and eyes.

It was dead. The group of us must have stopped breathing. We collectively gasped at the same time.

“Please, my lord!” another said, as it cowered behind Stormy. “The human brats threw the liquid iron, and the dark-skinned one broke his nose before we even got to him.”

I looked at Chris. He was shaking, eyes wide, but edging towards us with Jared, who cradled a hand and arm that were already twice the size they should be. Chris met my eye and hardened his face. “He was messing with these lines of salt and made Lily freak out. He was, like, in a trance, so I got him out of it.”

“Keep the humans surrounded.” Calbraith waved in our general direction and placed one hand on Stormy. He cocked his head at the fighting horse, as if surprised by something. “Curious.” With a shake, he pulled a knife and cut Max from Stormy. “Get that horse under control. I don't want him harmed, either. I have plans for him.”

Once his ropes were cut, Max slid off the horse, stumbling to stay on his feet. The backs of his shirt and jeans were riddled with holes, some big enough for me to see severe burns on his skin. “Who. The Hell.
Are
you?” he demanded. “And let them go!” He pointed at us.

Calbraith didn't answer right away, but continued to look Max up and down.

“What do you want?” When Calbraith didn't answer again, Max launched himself at him.

The daoine síth sidestepped as if he were dancing, appraising Max, and, with a flick of his wrist, sent him sprawling on the ground.

“You're weak,” the fey lord said. “You're useless to me weak.”

“What are you talking about?”

Another flick sent Max staggering back a few more steps before he could even think of trying to attack again. Not that he had much of a chance. Every movement was clearly painful.

“Heather MacArthur,” Calbraith called out without looking at me. “I thought we had a truce until sunset? And here I find one of my own brutally attacked on the very land we're negotiating for.”

“I'm not ‘one of your own!'” Max declared. “Who the hell do you think you are? You're a delivery man.” His voice sounded weak, though. After all, what kind of “delivery man” could knock you to the ground as if he was swatting at a fly?

Calbraith turned and squared his gaze at Max.

“Don't look him in the eye! That's how he mind-controls you!” I shouted.

Max turned his head quickly but shouted back, “Mind- control? What?”

“It's a little late for that, my dear liaison. You see, Max and I have already met. I wanted to deliver my gift to him personally.”

“What?” From where I was standing, I could see Max catch himself from looking Calbraith in the eye again. He switched his gaze to where the red caps were throwing more rope around Stormy. “Stormy was a gift from my fa—”

“From me.”

“No! I don't believe you.” Max started to shake.

“What are they on about?” Chris growled.

“Nasty family reunion,” Joe whispered from behind us. I could tell he was trying not to be noticed.

Calbraith slipped a leather glove over his hand and arm as he circled around Max. In a flash of movement, he slapped Max on the back, shoving him to the ground. Max cried out in pain.

“Iron poisoning is painful. Even for a halfblood.” He nodded towards Max's horse. “The Son of Storms is probably in some pain, too, though animal flesh isn't quite as…affected by fey blood as that of humans.” The daoine síth pulled out a whip with several metal ends on it, a scourge. He brushed the ends lightly against Max's back, making him curl away from the touch. Clearly, they were iron. He lifted the scourge to strike.

“Stop it! Stop!” I screamed, breaking from the group, halting as several red caps got between Max and me. “You said you didn't want him hurt!”

Calbraith searched for my eyes, but I focused on his horrible smile. I'd have nightmares about this for a week, but it was better than being a mind slave. He shrugged. “I didn't want the
red caps
to hurt him. He may have been more likely to listen. And if he didn't, the first strike has a particular enjoyment that, once it's been taken, just isn't the same.”

“Even your own son?” I said, taking several steps towards them. More red caps joined the two blocking my path, so I stopped.

“You're clever, child. But yes. Even my own son.” “I'm not your son!” Max growled, pushing himself up from the ground.

“Now if only said son were as clever as the cute little liaison.” Calbraith sneered down at him.

“Your conversation was pretty obvious,” I said. He didn't have to know that Joe had just about spelled it out to me earlier. Still, I probably would have gotten the gist of it.

Our attention was drawn as Stormy broke three more ropes. Calbraith flicked his gaze back to me.

“Hand your rope to Dorn, Heather MacArthur, and I'll put my iron-tipped scourge away.”

One of the four red caps that blocked my way stepped forward, hands outstretched. Swallowing hard, I took it off my shoulder, and then stopped. “Put your scourge away first and step away from Max, and then I'll hand it over. You have my word on that exchange.”

“As I said, clever.” Calbraith chuckled. “I'll play your game, little liaison.” He tucked the scourge back into his belt and took two steps away from Max. I handed the red cap the rope. As soon as he turned away, the daoine síth said, “Seize her. Don't break any of her pretty skin.”

“Heather!” Joe's voice came from near Calbraith. Wait, what? Hadn't he been just behind us? I heard my sister behind me, though, along with several shouts and scuffles and sounds of horse hooves.